


Mal de Mer

by dracox_serdriel



Series: Her Dark Works [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Romance, Smut, The Enchanted Forest, The Jolly Roger, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 00:37:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5269967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracox_serdriel/pseuds/dracox_serdriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Hook search for a way to replenish an important weapon against the Dark One, but their only recourse may be to go to one of Hook's greatest enemies for aid.</p><p><strong>Her Dark Works</strong> takes place in an alternate universe where Emma Swan was born and raised in the Enchanted Forest. One day, things go horribly wrong, and she abandons her birthright and throne to seek revenge on the Dark One. What happens when a woman born to be the Savior of the Realm joins forces with the Vengeful Pirate of Neverland?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma worries about the squid ink, and Hook distracts her by thanking her for saving his life.

Emma woke up to the sensation of lips softly pressing into her neck. It was still dark, and everything was silent. She smiled as Hook's nose nuzzle her neck. He kissed her shoulder as his good hand explored her collar bone. It was a wonderful way to leave her dreams.

Memories of the previous day returned to her, and she tensed when she remembered that she had no more squid ink.

"It's too early in the morning for worry, Swan," he whispered, somehow detecting her dismay.

"What about regret? Is it too early to regret?"

"You regret saving my life?"

"No, it's just - my parents gave me that ink the day Henry was born. I always planned on passing it on to him when he was old enough, so I saw it as his, if that makes any sense. I thought it was fitting, using Henry's pendant to defeat the Dark One," she replied. "I don't regret using it to save you, Hook, because I _need_ you, but I'm kicking myself for using all of it."

"Worry no, Swan. Our next task will be to acquire a new supply of squid ink," he said. "But let's leave that to another day, shall we?"

He kissed her shoulder again, bringing her body closer as he trailed his lips up her neck. She sighed as she relaxed in his arms.

"You know, Swan, I do owe you my life," he whispered. "A man should always repay his debts."

"Do you have some form of repayment in mind, Captain?" she asked, turning her head so she could meet his eye.

"Aye," he said. "From this day onward, I will be at your service. Anything you ask of me, I shall do." 

She beamed at him, wondering if he was awake enough to consider the implications of his words.

"Won't it be difficult to be both the Captain of the Jolly Roger and at my service?" she asked.

"Fine point, love. Perhaps it would be best if I restricted my servitude to the confines of this room."

She smiled as she considered the oh-so-many possibilities. She said, "Tell me your fantasy, but not just any fantasy. The one you're mind goes to whenever you have a spare moment or when you're daydreaming at the helm."

"Hmmmm."

"Tongue tied, Captain?"

"I'm afraid it may be... inappropriate for such an occasion."

"You mean while in bed with a woman or while at that woman's service?"

"Both, love."

"Tell me, love," she said, mimicking his voice. "You said anything I ask of you, didn't you?"

"Indeed, I did," he replied. He continued on in a low voice, murmuring into her ear. "I think about all the things we haven't done yet, trying to imagine what it would be like to do them. As it transpires, this is a foolish endeavor, as my imaginings pale in comparison to events once they unfold."

Emma knew that he was stalling, buying himself time to think of something to tell her, but his voice had a curious effect on her, relaxing her and turning her on at the same time. So when he stopped speaking, she rolled onto her other side so they were nearly nose-to-nose, throwing her left leg over his hip to keep him close.

"So these things you imagine," she said quietly. "What are they, specifically?"

She couldn't tell if he hesitated because he didn't want to tell her the truth or because he was thinking of the right thing to say, but for several minutes, he did nothing more than stare at her, searching her eyes. Part of her felt contained, trapped, and wanted to run out of the room, but there was also a closeness that had become foreign to her in the past three years.

* * *

Hook hadn't anticipated her asking him such a compromising question, especially not this early in the morning. But here she was, her face turned to his, her body curled around him, asking about his fantasies.

All this after she admitted that she _needed_ him. Her plan - and indeed, that was exactly what it was, as she had both a cunning strategy and the critical items required to execute it, minus the one used to save his life the day previous - against the Crocodile didn't require his assistance, not to the point where he was _needed_. If a partner was truly indispensable, she need only travel to the next kingdom to find another nemesis of the Dark One. He was hardly wanting for foes, and Hook's only true claim was being the Crocodile's longest-surviving adversary. Perhaps she wanted him to be part of her plan, but she certainly didn't _need_ him for it.

She waited for his response without pressuring him by asking again, so he drummed up his courage and spoke plainly and honestly.

"I imagine you," he began, his words taking a slow, deliberate rhythm. "Your hair like a golden sunrise over the water, in perfect curls, cropped, matted, it matters not. The cadence of your laughter, your scent, everywhere. Sometimes dressed as a pirate, other times a queen, and occasionally as the savior. It matters not. Clear skies. A hurricane. Torrents of blood wrung from a sea beast cascading over us. It matters not. You and I, aboard the Jolly Roger with no crew. She's all ours, wherever we want to be, together and alone. We savor fine wine and rum and scotch. We eat fruits we never knew existed and taste the meat of animals we thought were but the stuff of legends. We drink sweet water and teas so bitter we put on comical faces at their tang. We hear music that none in this realm have dared to imagine and laugh at its eccentricities."

His voice had captivated her, so he shifted, rolling her onto her back and on top of her, supporting his weight on his arms, keeping her so very close.

He continued, "Those are our days. Our nights - and sometimes our mornings - are filled with touch and smell and taste and want. I don't fantasize about us doing one thing or another so much as us doing _every_ thing. Me marking _every_ part of you with my teeth. You _every_ part of me with your nails. Spending _every_ night finding _every_ sensitive spot, _every_ touch that makes you come." He dropped his head next to hers, letting their bodies touch, as he softly said in her ear, "And never stopping until I have milked _every_ ounce of strength from your body, Swan."

She was quiet, but he felt her pulse pounding hard against his skin, thumping like she'd just run a mile. For a minute that seemed like an eternity, all he could hear was her breath, ragged and harsh, in his ear. 

He lifted himself over her to look into her eyes. His fingers gently cupped her cheek. Her pupils were dilated, but he couldn't tell if she was aroused or panicked or some combination of the two. 

Then her hands were suddenly on either side of his face, and her lips met his fiercely as her hips bucked up to meet his. He exhaled a long, slow hiss that he had pent up in his chest. 

His tongue darted into her mouth and clattered along her teeth, and his knee spread her legs apart as he grinded against her groin, eliciting a moan that got trapped in their kiss. His hand slipped down from her cheek to her breast, where he found an already-hardened nipple ready for his fingers.

Hook hadn't taken his time with Emma, not really. He had always had some excuse to speed things along, but not today. Today, he was going to savor her, drink her in.

He started by trailing kisses down her neck, sucking lightly at the pulse points already decorated with bruises from his teeth. He was tender this time, only nipping at her collarbones before he proceeded to her nipples. His tongue circled each one before gingerly pinching them between his teeth.

She groaned and whined, and every muscle in her body tensed. One hand fisted in his hair and the other grabbing at his ass, both bringing him closer.

"Hook!" she pleaded.

"Patience, love," he replied. "A gentleman always pays his debts."

* * *

Emma had no idea what was happening. She thought she asked a question in fair play: he'd demanded her fantasy, so she demanded his. But, as he answered, it seemed everything changed. Maybe things had been changing without her notice, and it had just caught up with her. She didn't know.

She certainly didn't know what to say.

It must've been his voice. It was different this morning: a low, gravely sound that conjured heat in her belly and a chill in her spine.

 _And never stopping until I have milked_ every _ounce of strength from your body, Swan._

Those words made her mind go completely blank. They were terrifying. No doubt, he hesitated to say them for the same reason. She told herself that Hook was a seductive man who knew how to charm people, herself included.

That's what she told herself, anyway.

She couldn't think, let alone find the words to form a sentence, yet Hook was waiting on her response. So she kissed him.

Then his entire body responded. His lips and teeth were everywhere: her neck, her nipples, her stomach, her hipbones. He continued down to her left thigh, knees, calves, and ankles. She squirmed as he touched her feet, which were calloused from hiking, riding, and martial arts, but he kissed the soles anyway. He went up her right ankle, sucking and nipping at sensitive points, leaving faint red marks that were nearly hidden by the fact that her entire body was flushed red already.

His fingers glided over her inner thighs, finally touching her where she desperately needed him to, but his movements were torturously slow. Two fingers crooked inside, twisting in and out, and his thumb hovered over her most sensitive spot, occasionally grazing it and driving her wild.

"Hook!" she pleaded over and over again between her gasps and groans.

His tongue touched her folds, and her entire body bucked forward wanting more. Her left hand fisted the sheets while right hand grasped behind his head, pulling him closer, but he resisted. His left arm came across her hips to hold her down as he continued on at an agonizingly slow pace. He added a third finger and began flicking his tongue across her clit.

"H-H-Hook!" she moaned.

She looked down at him, and, without stopping or slowing down, he looked up at her. She could only see his eyes above her body, and his smile was reflected in them. But she also saw the desire in his eyes. He had meant exactly what he said: _every_ thing. He wasn't doing this to torture her or seduce her. He was doing it because he relished it, because he delighted in her gratification. 

As if the thought spurred her on, she felt the edge of her climax approaching, and her hips pushed up for more contact. He must've sensed how close she was because he began moving in earnest, plunging his fingers to the spot inside her that left her seeing sparks while his tongue began circling her clit.

She came abruptly, and he finally let her hips buck up, fucking his hand as she rode out her orgasm. At some point - and she wasn't quite sure when - her hands fell to either side of her, gripping the sheets as tightly as possible. 

She regained her composure and looked at Hook, who was examining her naked body with hunger all over his face. He had his erection in hand, stroking it lazily, and it took her brain a moment to come down from the high and realize that he was covering himself in her wetness.

She sat up, and when he started to protest, she kissed him, long and slow, tasting herself on his tongue.

Hook sat on the bed, so she pushed him closer to the middle, sat over his lap and wrapped her legs behind him. He cottoned on and guided her hips.

She was so wet that she slid over him in one fluid motion. She clenched down, feeling his girth and length inside, smiling at his moan. His arms were wrapped around her, and hers arms around him for balance. For a few moments, neither moved, they just breathed together with foreheads touching.

She kissed him again, one hand freely moving to the back of his head, stroking his neck.

Then he started to move, and she groaned as his pelvis tilted forward slightly, her nails digging into his back as her over-sensitized nerves reacted to his touch.

He captured her lips with his, occasionally breaking away for a panting breath. He rocked forward, and she followed, letting the thrusts come in easy ripples that escalated swiftly. As the pace quickened, she dropped her head to his shoulder, gasping for air. He didn't let up, his lips and teeth peppering her neck and shoulder.

His whole body pulsated against her, and she opened her eyes to see the long, harsh scratches she had dug into his back. She was so close that her body trembled.

"Emma!" he groaned as his arms drew her closer. "Emma, please... come for me. Come for me!"

God help her, she did. She saw stars, dug her nails into his flesh again and screamed his name. She expected him to follow, but when she was seeing straight again, she felt him hard inside of her, rocking into her softly, giving her time to come back down.

"Hook," she whispered, nuzzling into his neck. "What about you?"

His hand went under her chin and tugged her up, so he could put his forehead on hers.

"Do you trust me, Emma?"

"Yes."

"Then get on all fours for me, love," he said in what she had come to identify as his 'captain's orders' voice.

She broke away from him and stood up, her body worn and tired but still wanting more. He got up, giving her free reign of the bed, and she rolled onto her hands and knees, keeping her back to him.

The idea of him taking her on all fours restarted her libido, even though she had just gotten off, so when she felt the bed shift under his weight, her heart rate escalated all over again. She spread her legs for him, but the inside of his legs came around hers and closed them as his bad arm came under her to support her hips. She curled her back and hips up towards him. 

"You're going to be the death of me," he whispered.

Emma wasn't sure why the position turned her on so much. His hand steadied her as he squatted down over her and began to penetrate. He felt so big, almost too big. He groaned and grunted until he was fully sheathed inside. She released a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. 

"You all right, love?" he asked.

"Never better."

He pulled himself partially out of her and slammed back in, hitting that sweet spot that was so sensitive it made her scream. The next thrust was deeper and harder, and the next one faster and harder, setting a pace that she would normally think of as punishing but in this moment was absolutely perfect.

His hand was suddenly at her clit, teasing and rubbing as he crashed into her over and over again. She must've been making sounds like a wild animal because she lost all sense of who she was and where she was as his rhythm became even faster, his grip on her hips so tight it was bruising, and the wave of ecstasy released over her was more than just a climax.

Hook's rhythm became erratic, so she continued thrusting back and clenching over him, smiling at the wailing moan she dragged out of his throat.

"Emma!"

She felt his warm, hot cum spilling inside her as the last of his thrusts crashed into her. For a moment he stilled, holding her hips in place, as his upper body collapsed over hers.

"Bloody hell, Swan."

He pulled out of her, and she rolled over and yanked him on top of her. He didn't fight it, allowing himself to lie across her, sweaty and sticky and spent. 

The first light of dawn peeked through the window as Emma drifted off to sleep again.


	2. Jacklines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Hook attempt to win favor with Ursula, the Sea Witch, despite her antagonistic past with Hook.

The rest of the day was a somber affair. Emma had never been a part of a burial at sea, so she watched the crew of the Jolly Roger with the reverence of an outsider.

She noticed a marked change in the attitudes of the crew toward her. Before they had either stared lewdly or averted their eyes, depending on if Hook was nearby, and, with the exceptions of Deckhand Strike, Mister Smee, and Chief Officer Hawking, none of the crew spoke to her unless she spoke to them first. Today, however, most of the crew took off their hats (if they had them) and bowed their heads, greeting her with things like "Good morning, my lady" or "My lady Emily."

"Hook, what is happening?"

"You saved a lot of people yesterday," he replied. "And healed many more besides."

"So what, now they like me?" she asked.

He laughed. "On the contrary, Swan, I'm saying they're all terrified of you, almost as much as they are of me now. Decapitating a sea serpent on deck has that effect."

Most of the crew prepared the bodies, but Hook took her and Mister Smee around the ship, inspecting damage and noting repairs.

At high noon, they gathered together on deck where the ceremony took place. Each wrapped body was dropped into the sea for a final resting place.

Emma wasn't really paying attention to what was said. She stood next to Hook, silently observing everything, but her mind was a million miles away, wondering how they'd ever get their hands on more squid ink.

* * *

After the burials were complete, Hook ordered Smee to handle the repairs, all of which were relatively minor given that they had survived an attack from the largest sea serpent he'd ever seen and its henchmen.

They had three more days before the next port, which gave him time to work out a suitable plan for acquiring more squid ink they required, but he had no idea what that might entail.

So when they sat down for dinner, he made a point of asking Emma, "How does one usually acquire squid ink?"

"The ink is from a squid that's so fast it can only be captured by a mermaid," Emma replied. "My mom got it from a mermaid who she helped find true love a long time ago."

"So only a mermaid can get it?"

"Yes, but I know there are people who have it. The Evil Queen possibly, her vaults have been untouched. There may be other kings and queens that have saved some, but asking around will draw attention, so - "

"I know a mermaid," he interrupted. 

"What? Who?"

"Perhaps it's more rightly said that I know a _former_ mermaid," he replied. "Her name is Ursula."

"Former mermaid?"

"It's a long story, but she's more powerful in her current incarnation. I've no doubt she could retrieve this ink."

"Just because she can doesn't mean she will."

"Indeed," he replied. "Our last meeting didn't end well, and I'm afraid the only item we have at our disposal for bartering is currently being used to guarantee my ship's safety from the retaliation of her and her father Poseidon. So long as it's in my possession, the Jolly Roger is safe, but should we offer it in trade - "

"I can work on a talisman to replace it," she said, interrupting. "Something that would ward attacks - possibly cloak the ship - from the denizens of the Sea Kingdom."

"You could do that?"

"Not until we've landed somewhere that has a marketplace, I'll need some supplies," she replied. "So, what happened between you and Ursula?"

Hook told her the shortest version of the story. His ship was nearly destroyed by the alluring sound of a mermaid who spared them at the last moment. He later met the lass responsible, Ursula, who was singing at a tavern, and he offered her passage on his ship as thanks. Her father approached him about a deal: using a shell to steal her singing voice in exchange for squid ink. He refused, so Ursula stole the ink for him instead. But when Poseidon destroyed his only chance at vengeance, Hook used the shell in a fit of rage.

"I doubt she'd want to see you again," she said after he finished his tale.

"Perhaps not, but if you are with me, she may be more amenable to aiding us."

"So we just walk up to her and ask if she wants her voice back in exchange for squid ink?"

"Finding her won't be difficult, but I admit, simply asking her seems a poor plan."

* * *

Three days later, the Jolly Roger docked at a large harbor city, and Emma was grateful to be on solid ground again. Mister Smee insisted on escorting her through the market, which actually worked to her advantage when she purchased the ingredients for a potion, as he knew all about the ship. Though she'd never admit it, Smee was also quite instrumental in her purchases of additional attire for her persona as the Dread Pirate Emily.

They spent three full days at the harbor, repairing the ship and restocking it, so she had more than enough time to bless the prow of the ship with a potion that transformed it into a powerful talisman. It cloaked the ship from the creatures of the Sea Kingdom and warded off their attacks, should they somehow find the Jolly Roger.

Then they set sail for Arendelle. According to Hook, the journey would take about two weeks at sea.

On the second day, Hook ordered Hawking to take command for the entire day, giving poorly veiled innuendo as reason not to disturb him (or her) for any reason. Emma wasn't fond of this element in their plan, but he assured her it was the best way to keep their meeting secret from the crew.

That evening, she and Hook crawled into the captain's gig, and she lowered it to the water with her magic.

"You're doing the work of three men with your little finger, Swan," he commented.

"Actually, it's my whole hand," she replied with mock modesty.

He twisted his hook upside down and began to row them away from the ship. They escaped everyone's notice under the cover of darkness.

* * *

Dread. That was the only thing he could call it. Hook had ruined plenty of people's lives, but he felt guilt over what he did to Ursula mere moments after the deed was done. He had been too stubborn back then to admit that he had done the wrong thing, and leveraging the shell as blackmail had tied his hands - or, rather, hand and hook - on the matter.

And now he was going to see Ursula.

He suggested spinning a tale of redemption, that he now assisted the Savior of the Realm in her stealthiest of travel plans or some other such nonsense, but she shot him down. Lying to Ursula could backfire, as could any attempts at blackmail. In truth, they hadn't settled on Plan B, which made him uncomfortable on top of dreading the forthcoming conversation.

They reached a tiny island of rock called Marauder's Peril, and she helped tie the gig down.

Then they waited.

"She might not come," he said after several hours had passed. "I'd hoped, but..."

"She'll come."

"Confident, Swan, any particular reason?"

"Not really."

They laughed, filling deep blue darkness of sky and sea with an unnatural echo.

"What's so funny?" Ursula asked.

She appeared abruptly, her eight arms wrapping around the tiny rock that they were standing on.

"You were a fool to come here," she continued as one of her tentacles coiled around his neck.

"Stop! Wait!" Emma shouted held out the enchanted sea shell. "We brought this!" 

"I believe you just lost your leverage, Captain!" Ursula said as she greedily snatched her prize.

She waved her hand over it, and the most beautiful voice escaped from its depths and traveled to her throat, but the moment it touched her skin, it recoiled away, back into the shell.

"It appears I've not lost it just yet," Hook choked out.

She released him, rage painted on her face. She asked, "What did you do to it? Why can't I get my voice out of it?"

"I can return it to you," Emma said. "But in exchange, I need squid ink."

"After what he did, you expect me to help him get his vengeance? He took the last thing I had of my mother, all because of his precious revenge," Ursula said. She turned to Hook, "I'm guessing you're coming to me because you've got no other choices, which means I can finally pay you back. I won't help you kill the Dark One, pirate. Keep it."

She tossed the shell back to him, which he deftly caught it in his right hand.

"I thought killing you would be my reward, but turns out, I get something so much better. You'll never avenge your love now, Hook!" Ursula said, relishing her words.

The Sea Witch turned to leave, and the dread Hook had been feeling earlier reared its ugly head. Could he blame her? Hadn't he lashed out at her to hurt her father? 

"And what about me?" Emma shouted after her. "This isn't just about him. The Dark One threatens what little is left of my family!"

"Then you shouldn't have trusted a pirate!" Ursula yelled without turning back.


	3. Deadlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hook and Emma return to the Jolly Roger to deal with the fall out of their plans.

Hook decided it was time to take a leap of faith, or whatever people called it when they did something immensely stupid with nothing more than a sliver of hope to justify it.

"Swan, restore her voice," Hook said.

"What?"

"Return her singing voice to her."

"But she won't help us. We could try to trade with her father, and - "

"Quickly, before she leaves!" he interrupted.

She hesitated, but only momentarily. She held the shell out in front of her and blew on it. The voice traveled across the sea and struck Ursula in the back. She pitched forward, as if stumbling in pain, and disappeared beneath the waves.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It worked, and she left."

"You certain of that, Swan?"

"Yeah, I can feel it. This shell is changed," she replied. "Look, I get the strategy, but we never talked about just giving it back to her. Now we're back to square one."

"I should've given it back to her a long time ago," he replied. "Besides, there was no negotiating with her. Better to give it back and flee, hoping she'll be too distracted to kill us. Speaking of fleeing, love, shall we?"

They boarded the gig, untied, and pushed off.

Everything was quiet for some time, and he could tell Emma was displeased. She did her best to hide her scowl, but the stuffy silence between them was more than evidence enough.

"Emma, I - "

She interrupted, "We could've traded that shell to Poseidon or I could've approached her without you. No matter what, it's going to take time to figure out our next move, and every minute we waste, we run the risk of the Dark One finding out."

As if to answer her, tentacles erupted from the water over both sides of the gig, and two small pendant-sized jars clattered at their feet. She picked them up, her jaw slack in surprise.

"How did you know?" she asked.

He shrugged and put on a smug smile. 

Truth be told, he hadn't known at all.

* * *

Emma felt as if she had done loop-the-loops all day, but they managed to get away from the ship and retrieve the squid ink, which lightened the mood on the way back considerably. 

They had waited hours for Ursula to show, and as a result, they didn't return to the Jolly Roger until just before dawn, which meant their little trip wasn't nearly as secret as they'd planned.

He brought the gig to a stop, and she reached out one hand to work her magic. 

But then Hook took her hand and stopped her, saying, "Wait, Swan."

She didn't know what he was doing at first, but then she saw the horizon. The weak, blue light of dawn was amplified by the ocean, and the red rays of the sun reflected off the waves. 

They watched the sunrise. She wasn't sure if it was a few minutes or hours, and she didn't care. They had all that they needed to defeat the Dark One, and in less than two weeks, she'd finally end the man who destroyed her family.

She nearly cried in relief.

When the sun was high enough, she handed him one of the squid ink jars.

"This one's yours," she said.

He tucked it into one of his vest pockets as he said, "Shall we, love?"

She waved her hand, bringing down the lines required to raise the gig to the deck. Once the gig was level and locked in place, they stepped onto the lower deck of the Jolly Roger. 

"Something's wrong," Hook said.

She felt it, too, and the lack of crew members running around the deck cemented her concerns. 

They both drew their swords as they made their way to the helm, and she saw why the ship was so quiet.

Hawking was dead by the wheel with Mister Smee at his right hand. Across the deck, bodies were scattered, all purple and blue as if drained of blood, with their eyes frozen open in terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not! Her Dark Works Series continues with Episode #4 "[Crocodile](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5283749/chapters/12195827)" of Her Dark Works.


End file.
